sunday morning

I sit on our balcony on my sofa (heh heh) watching the sun rise. I am looking at Rod and Nancy's building (no lights on yet, hope Rod is sleeping in!) over the expressways covered in a canopy of green trees to the beach and parkland that stretches along the coast for k's, from downtown on the south (30 k's right/south) to Changi Airport (10 k's east/left). There is a huge "T" wharf, a skate board park, a man made water boarding area (pulled around by an overhead track), rental sailboats, windsurfers,  kayaks, food hawker courts and miles of beach. Then the water out from the beach is filled with ships waiting for a berth in Singapore harbour. There are probably 60-70 ships that we can see from here, anchored out there. The shoreline in the background (on a clear day) is Indonesia.  Certainly will explore, but until I get to feel better everything hurts, walking, sitting. Yuk.
I went for a reflexology appt the other day. Our complex has a shuttle service to the MRT, a grocery store "Fair Price", and a mall Parkway Parade. Coming out of Fair Price, I saw a TCM clinic, offering reflexology. I went to explore and had a 20 minute soak and 1 hour treatment (S$38). This tiny seemingly 12 year old Chinese girl found every bone in my feet. It is nothing like what I have had before. I have had them work on pressure points, but this. Yikes. I am of the thinking that if it hurts it must be good for you. This must have been fabulous for me. I could not believe the pain, but honestly, I felt my pain leave my shoulder and wrist. I walked out of there feeling myself. It was wonderful.  Until, of course, I went grocery shopping! I will make that a part of my shopping jaunt. They also do shoulder massage, full body massage, and ear candling. I have never had candling, it just seems new age, but if it is TCM, may be worth trying. All this TCM has been around for so long, there must be something to it.
Last night I booked a massage for Tim and me. He has had such a week, I thought he would like a relaxing massage. I am trying to have some work done on this broken down old body every few days. So we went to the salon in our complex. They have a room with two tables, and it was nice to be together. But these girls. I heard Tim wincing and groaning, and I was wincing and groaning. But it must have been wonderful. My girl, Lili, at the end, held my hand to do the range of motion thing, and pressed back on my wrist where it does not go these days. I tell you I saw white lights and thought I was on the ceiling. Such pain. And she felt terrible, but it was the wrong thing to be doing on this wrist. Needless to say , it is killing me this morning still. Ouch
Went to IKEA yesterday. Very ambitious of me on the Saturday before Chinese New Year. But I headed out early and was there for the opening at ten. By MRT. The MRT is wonderful. The cars all seem new and are spotlessly clean, air conditioned and wired. Passengers are quiet and polite. It is easy to manoeuvre, stations well marked, efficient, but mostly QUIET. There are no brakes screeching (think TTC) no swaying as the tracks change direction (think TTC), no clicking over tracks (TTC). I have heard one click, one, so far , a train crossing tracks.
To get to IKEA you can cab it, (S$8) or MRT to a free shuttle bus (takes an hour) to a business park, we have decided, like in Brampton. Have I ever been to a business park in Brampton? but you know. Way out. The shuttle bus goes to a monster furniture store, a monster grocery store, a monster electronics store, and IKEA. The Singaporeans come out to IKEA to eat. They love the meatballs and boiled potatoes! At opening, there was a huge lineup for the restaurant. But I was there for furniture and in 25 minutes was on my way out, with all ordered that I wanted. Now it will take 2 weeks to be delivered. But got 2 armchairs, a dresser, bed tables, bed tables for the guest rooms, mattress covers. Most of the things are the same here in Singapore IKEA as at home. None of this "while in Rome" for me here. There is so much cheap Chinese stuff in other stores. At least with IKEA I know the quality I am getting, and I really only want 2 years out of it. But I save all receipts because maybe we can sell our things when we head home. They say Sinaporeans are shoppers and I believe it. Granted it is Chinese New Year. But at the monster store mall, there were easily 50 trucks waiting to unload at the stores. Reminiscent of the ships out in the ocean off our apartment. Waiting to unload.
This is an island after all. I don't think there is much industry here. So everything comes in by ship, air or land. We watch Airbus 380's, they are so huge , come in every 3 minutes all day long and all night long. We are on the flight path for Changi Airport. We watch them come from far a way, a speck of light, come across to our right, make an abrupt right turn for them, left fro us, across the water we look out at, and land 30 k's to our left. every 3 minutes night and day.
The sun is up. You all head out for your Saturday night, I start my day Sunday. Have a hard time getting my head around that.